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Mýa is a Actor American born on 10 october 1978 at Washington, D.C. (USA)
Mýa Marie Harrison (born October 10, 1979) (/ˈmaɪ.ə/) is an American hip hop and R&B singer, songwriter and actress. Harrison's eponymous debut album with (through) Interscope Records was released in April 1998. It sold over one million copies in the United States, producing the gold-certified top ten single "It's All About Me" featuring Sisqó.
Her second studio album, platinum-plus selling Fear of Flying was released in 2000 and became a worldwide success, with single "Case of the Ex" becoming Mýa's breakthrough hit, topping the Australian Singles Chart for two consecutive weeks.
In 2002, Harrison won a Grammy Award in the category for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for her rendition of Labelle's 1975 hit "Lady Marmalade", a cover version she recorded alongside Christina Aguilera, rapper Lil' Kim and Pink for the Moulin Rouge! soundtrack (2001). She released her third studio album, Moodring, in the summer of 2003. The album produced the smash hit "My Love Is Like...Wo" and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Following a label change to Universal Motown, Mýa's oft-delayed fourth studio album, Liberation (2007), received a download-release in Japan only after her label accidentally leaked the album. With the decision to go independent and a decline in her popularity in the United States, Harrison was offered a recording contract with Manhattan Recordings (a division of Lexington Corp.), a record label based in Japan. Through that label, she recorded two exclusive albums for the Japanese music market, Sugar & Spice (2008) and, most recently, K.I.S.S. (Keep It Sexy & Simple) (2011). In between recording those two albums, she launched her own independent record label Planet 9, and competed in Dancing with the Stars – season nine; finishing in second place.
Aside from a music career, Harrison branched out into acting; making her feature-film debut in 1999's thriller In Too Deep starring LL Cool J and Omar Epps. She continued to score supporting roles in films such as Chicago (winning a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble Cast); Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004); Shall We Dance? (2004); and Cursed (2005).
She has endorsed several brands such as Coca-Cola, Gap, Iceberg, Tommy Hilfiger, and Motorola.
Harrison's contribution to music has earned her many accolades in the fields of pop and R&B music categories. In 2009, Billboard listed Mýa as one of their Hot 100 Artists of the 2000s; placing her in the 97th position.
As of October 2009, she has sold 3.2 million albums in the United States alone and 7 million albums worldwide.
"The turning point was when I saw Savion Glover in 'Tap'. I watched the videotape and studied steps on the kitchen floor."—Mýa,The Washington Post
Mýa Harrison, a native of Washington, D.C. is one of three children, born to an African-American father and Italian-American mother. Her father Sherman, a musician and singer, performed with several bands in the area; her mother Theresa worked as an accountant. She grew up in suburban Washington D.C. and Maryland with her two younger brothers Chaz and Nijel. As a child, she imitated Michael Jackson in her mother's high-heeled boots, using a spoon as a make-believe microphone. Mýa took violin lessons throughout her childhood, but dancing was her primary after-school activity. Mýa started ballet lessons in 1982 when she was only two and jazz and tap when she was four. Although she lost interest for several years, her interest waned at about age 10, but at age 12, it was rekindled. Her tap-dancing skills led to an opportunity to study with one of the best-known tap dancers in the country, Savion Glover of the Dance Theater of Harlem, when he came to Washington DC for a workshop. Glover later chose Mýa for a solo spot in a dance performance at the Kennedy Center
Mýa sometimes had to endure insensitive comments about her ethnic background, but her accomplishments as a dancer helped her make the transition into adolescence and deal with its peer pressure. As she explained in an appearance on Canada's Much Music television show in January 2001:
There was a time in my life when I wasn't popular and accepted by kids in school. I was made fun of with braces and kinky hair, and being from a multicultural family, etcetera... And it really hurts when you're that age, but later when you get something of your own or you get involved in activities like a sport, you begin to be accepted for what you do, and your personality and who you are, instead of your clothes and how you look and the name designer brands you have on.
As a popular performer, she would later draw from her experiences to speak to girls' groups as part of the Secret of Self-Esteem program for adolescents, addressing issues such as body image, peer pressure, and gender stereotypes. Learning steps from music videos landed her a stint from 1996 until 1998 as a hip-hop dancer for BET's "Teen Summit". She also began teaching a children's hip-hop and jazz dance class in Camp Springs. By age 15, Mýa's musical side took over and her professional-musician father helped her perfect her vocal abilities. When he realized that his daughter was serious about a career in music, Mýa's father began shopping around with her demo tape, eventually catching the interest of University Music president and CEO Haqq Islam. After graduating high school at 16, Mýa took a few classes at the University of Maryland, College Park, but the teenager's primary focus was on the recording studio.
1998–2001: Mýa, Fear of Flying and Lady Marmalade
After signing with Interscope, Mýa spent the next two years recording and completing her debut studio album. The album featured production and collaborations from noteworthy hit-makers such as Missy Elliott, Babyface, Diane Warren, Dru Hill, Darryl Pearson and Silkk Tha Shocker and spawned three successful singles. Her debut single, "It's All About Me" featuring fellow R&B singer Sisqó, was released on February 14, 1998. It peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart respectively. The single received a gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America on June 4, 1998. Her eponymous debut album was released April 21, 1998 in the United States and reached No. 29 on the Billboard 200. The album sold 1.4 million copies in the United States and received a platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America on October 1, 1998; denoting shipments to US retailers of over 1,000,000 units.
The album's second single "Movin' On", featured No Limit rapper Silkk Tha Shocker and peaked at No. 34 on the Hot 100 and No. 4 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart respectively. A third single, "My First Night with You" peaked at No. 28 on the Hot 100 and R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The album earned Mýa two Soul Train Music Award nominations for Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist and Best R&B/Soul Album – Female and a NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding New Artist. In addition to her solo work, Mýa was featured with Ol' Dirty Bastard on Pras' Grammy-nominated 1998 hit "Ghetto Supastar" from the Bulworth soundtrack and "Take Me There" from The Rugrats Movie soundtrack, with Blackstreet, Blinky Blink, and Mase.
Fear of Flying is a metaphor for the ups and downs of life. It's about handling things like an adult, knowing you must have faith to make anything happen.
—Mýa, Billboard
In 1999, Mýa began production on an album that would eventually become Fear of Flying. The title was partially inspired by Erica Jong 1973 novel, Fear of Flying which shared a lot of similarities toward female sexuality and development of second-wave feminism. The album featured contributions from Rodney Jerkins, Swizz Beatz, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Knobody, and Wyclef Jean. The majority of Fear of Flying was co-written and co-produced by Mýa and many of the album’s songs were about female empowerment. Mýa, who did some writing on her 1998 eponymous debut album, was heavily involved in the production of Fear of Flying, from writing and recording to producing, mixing, and mastering.
On April 25, 2000, Fear of Flying was released and debuted at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 album chart with first week sales of 72,000 copies. Upon initial release, the album seemed to be suffering the dreaded sophomore slump. The album's first single "The Best of Me", featuring Jadakiss, under-performed on the charts, not even making it into the pop Top 40.
The album's second single, the confrontational "Case of the Ex", proved to be a different matter and was a dance-heavy jam with attitude on it. Mýa confronts her man about an old lover who will not go away. "Case of the Ex" became Mýa's breakthrough hit topping the Australian Singles Chart for two consecutive weeks.
The song reached two and three in the US and UK respectively, and in turn solidified Fear of Flying as a hit.
With the success of "Case of the Ex", Interscope re-released Fear of Flying on November 7, 2000, with a revised tracklisting featuring two new songs, including the third single "Free" (which was previously on the Bait soundtrack) and a new track titled "Again & Again". "Free" was even more pop-friendly and became quite successful on MTV's TRL and at pop radio. Fear of Flying earned Mýa a Soul Train Music Award nomination for R&B/Soul Album – Female and a UK MOBO nomination for Best Album in 2001. The album sold over a million copies in the United States and received a platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America on March 28, 2001. Although Fear of Flying was received with mixed reviews, the album was a critical and commercial success; catapulting her career into superstardom. Fear of Flying hit as nearly hard as her debut, staying on the Billboard 200 chart for 52 consecutive weeks.
In 2001, Mýa lent her voice to two film soundtrack projects; Walt Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge! soundtracks. On the Atlantis: The Lost Empire soundtrack, she performed and recorded the tender pop ballad "Where the Dream Takes You. The Diane Warren-penned song was featured during the closing credits of Disney's highly anticipated animated feature, and was worked at Top 40 and Adult Contemporary radio starting June 5, prior to the film's June 15 release date; then she collaborated with singers Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, and P!nk on the remake of Labelle's 1975 hit "Lady Marmalade". Lady Marmalade was produced by hip-hip producers Missy Elliott and Rockwilder and released as the first single from the Moulin Rouge! soundtrack.
The single was a worldwide success. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart in its eighth week, spending five consecutive weeks at No. 1. "Lady Marmalade" became the third airplay-only track in the history of the chart to make it to the top. Since Billboard changed the eligibility rule in December 1998 to include all songs regardless of retail availability, only Aaliyah's "Try Again" (Blackground/Virgin) in June 2000 and "Angel" by Shaggy featuring Rayvon (MCA) March 2001 have made it to No. 1 without any sales points. Of the three tracks to now achieve this feat, "Marmalade" makes it to the top with the highest audience total (111 million listeners). "Angel" had 105 million in its only week at No. 1, while "Try" had 92 million in its sole week at the top.
The song reached No. 1 in over fifteen countries including the UK and Australia. Lady Marmalade became Mýa's first chart-topper and third non-consecutive top ten on the Hot 100 chart.
The foursome was invited to perform at the 2001 MTV Movie Awards; the performance was the show's biggest highlight of the night. At 2001 MTV Video Music Awards Lady Marmalade was nominated for six moonmen and won two for Best Video from a Film and Video of the Year. In March 2001, Mýa paid a tribute to legendary music icon Janet Jackson at MTV Icon. She performed her own rendition of Jackson's classic hit The Pleasure Principle.
In 2002, the quartet performed "Lady Marmalade" again at the 44th Grammy Awards and won a grammy for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.
2002–2008: Moodring, Liberation and Sugar & Spice
After the release and success of Fear of Flying, Mýa began to dabble in acting with a supporting role in the 2002 Academy Award-winning musical film, Chicago. In the following years, she continued appearing in films such as Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004), Shall We Dance? (2004), and Cursed (2005).
On July 22, 2003, after much delay, Mýa released her third studio album, Moodring. The album sold more than 113,000 copies in its first week and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, surpassing Mýa’s previous effort first-week sales. Originally titled Bittersweet, the album displays an array of different emotions exploring Mýa’s playful and sexual side. The majority of Moodring was co-written and co-produced by Mýa and was influenced by different subjects and music stylings including techno, pop rock, soul, hip-hop, R&B, quiet storm, etc. The first single, the Missy Elliott-produced "My Love Is Like...Wo" became a top twenty hit on the Hot 100 and a summer anthem for women. The video showcased a more sexy and risqué side of Mýa and became popular at MTV. The second single, the elegant-mid tempo track "Fallen" failed to duplicate the same success, but reached the top forty on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Moodring stayed on the United States chart for a mere eighteen non-consecutive weeks and went on to be certified gold, selling 589,000 copies to date.
Mýa was working on her fourth studio album on and off since 2004; she signed a six figure contract with Ford Modeling Agency in 2005. Originally conceived as a project called Control Freak, the album's first version was actually scheduled for a mid-2005 release and involving main production by Scott Storch, Dr. Dre, Lil Jon, Rockwilder and songwriter Sean Garrett. Although she intended to release a dance track called "Let It Go" at a particular time, the singer eventually decided to leave her management and A&M Records in fall 2005 before signing a new contract with Universal Motown. Mýa began consulting a few other producers to collaborate on the album, renamed Liberation, and in mid-2006, a buzz track entitled "Ayo!" was released onto the internet. Due to time-consuming "litigations, court, transitioning from label to label, teaching kids [at the Mya Art & Tech Foundation] and building a [recording] studio" however, the song was never picked up as a single and the album's release was pushed back again. In March 2007, the album's actual lead single "Lock U Down", a Scott Storch-produced collaboration with Lil Wayne, was sent to radio. After its commercial failure, a second single entitled "Ridin'" was released, but as the song saw minor success on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart only, Liberation was delayed once more and eventually bumped from the U.S. schedule. As a result, the album was never released physically anywhere but in Japan.
In 2008, Mýa parted ways with Motown. Having worked on new material since mid-2007, she contracted with Japanese R&B label Manhattan Records (a division of Lexington Group, not to be confused with the American adult contemporary label of the same name) to release new material. Her fifth studio album Sugar & Spice received a Japan-wide release in December 2008. Composed of production by less known producers, the album produced a new version of her single "Fallen", a cover of Diana King's hit "Shy Guy", as well as the first and final single "Paradise".
2009–2013: Beauty & the Streets and K.I.S.S. (Keep It Sexy & Simple)
Almost a year later, Mýa re-released her Japan-only album Sugar & Spice. The newer version of the album, entitled Sugar & Spice: The Perfect Edition, was released on August 5, 2009, containing new remixes and a new song titled "Wish You Were Here" featuring Malaysian artist Che'Nelle. During her downtime Mýa started her own independent label, entitled Planet 9 and inked a deal with J. Prince's Young Empire Music Group. She released her first mixtape called Beauty & The Streets Vol.1 on September 29, 2009. The mixtape's first single, "Show Me Somethin'" featured Houston-based rapper Bun B and was sent to iTunes in August. The mixtape entered at No. 55 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart. Mýa was invited to be a featured guest vocalist on We Are the World 25 for Haiti. In 2010, Variety reported Mýa currently has already completed 10 tracks for her next studio effort with producer Junior Sanchez. No release date has been set yet but think an electro-dance-rock vibe. Mýa says, "Working with Junior Sanchez is an incredibly creative experience – he and his team are true musicians, and we have been having so much fun in the studio – the sound is brand new and completely fresh." The songstress was also gearing up for the launch of a brand new single "Love Is the Answer", with Cedric Gervais. Originally, the track was scheduled for release late 2010 but however pushed back into next year. The song appeared on Gervais' album "Miamication" via (Ultra Records).
In early 2011, E! Online gave an exclusive first-listen preview of "Love Is the Answer".
The track was released February 8 worldwide via iTunes.
She released a new track called "Fabulous Life" in Japan on January 19. It was the first single from her second studio album titled K.I.S.S. (Keep It Sexy & Simple) in Japan.
A second single titled "Runnin' Back" featuring Iyaz was released February 23. Her sixth studio album K.I.S.S. (Keep It Sexy & Simple) was released April 20, 2011 in Japan. The album debuted at No. 71 on Japan's Billboard Top Albums Chart and at No. 72 on Japan's Oricon Albums Chart with first-week sales of 1,543.
In an interview, Mýa announced she had a US version of K.I.S.S. (Keep It Sexy & Simple) that had been done for quite some time and she had been taking a lot of meeting every single month to find out if she would like to distribute the project independently or major. Either way, her plan was to get it out before Christmas stating the album is done and my fans want it. Although the US version was slightly different from the Japan version. K.I.S.S. U.S./Canada Deluxe Edition was released December 20, 2011 via iTunes.
Its first U.S. digital single was an up-tempo track called "Earthquake" featuring Miami native rapper Trina. The single was released December 6, 2011 via iTunes. The album's second U.S. digital single was the House/Techno – club rave inspired song "Somebody Come Get This Bitch" released December 13, 2011 via (iTunes). The project's next three U.S. digitally released singles were "Mr. Incredible", "Mess Up My Hair", and "Evolve". Harrison began working on her 8th studio album for 2012.
In an interview with Billboard.com's The Juice, Harrison said she'll release her next album "when it's ready and supported properly" and is open to working with a major label again, "if a comfortable situation presents itself". Her priority is serving her fans worldwide now, versus the one-off, independent situation that she have been doing but still going to put out her mixtapes. She still may do projects in Japan, but her focal point and priority is to bring it back home. K.I.S.S. U.S./Canada Edition debuted at No. 74 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for the week of February 11, 2012.
2014–15: EP Series and Planet 9
Starting in 2014, Harrison has released a series of EPs on her independent label Planet 9. Beginning on February 14, 2014, Mýa released a four-track Valentine's Day EP entitled With Love, to commemorate the release of her debut single "It's All About Me" and 16th Anniversary in the entertainment industry via iTunes.
In between time, Mýa co-starred in the Syfy original TV movie Bermuda Tentacles starring Linda Hamilton, which debuted on April 12 at 9 p.m. ET. Approximately, two months later, Mýa released a new EP entitled Sweet XVI on April 21, 2014 via iTunes, to commemorate the release of her debut studio album Mýa.
In the near future, Mýa's label imprint Planet 9 will manufacture a physical CD combining both EPs and bonus tracks for her fans, classifying this as her eighth studio album, exclusively available on her website www.myamya.com and all future tour stops. Mýa is currently working on her ninth studio album.
The following year on February 14, 2015, Harrison released a new EP entitled Love Elevation Suite. It is her sixth independent project and second Valentine's Day EP. On October 10, 2015, Harrison is set to release "Welcome to My World", the first single from her upcoming eighth indie project titled Planet 9.
Source : Wikidata
Mýa
Birth name Mýa Marie Harrison
Nationality USA
Birth 10 october 1978 (45 years) at Washington, D.C. (USA)
Nationality USA
Birth 10 october 1978 (45 years) at Washington, D.C. (USA)
Mýa Marie Harrison (born October 10, 1979) (/ˈmaɪ.ə/) is an American hip hop and R&B singer, songwriter and actress. Harrison's eponymous debut album with (through) Interscope Records was released in April 1998. It sold over one million copies in the United States, producing the gold-certified top ten single "It's All About Me" featuring Sisqó.
Her second studio album, platinum-plus selling Fear of Flying was released in 2000 and became a worldwide success, with single "Case of the Ex" becoming Mýa's breakthrough hit, topping the Australian Singles Chart for two consecutive weeks.
In 2002, Harrison won a Grammy Award in the category for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for her rendition of Labelle's 1975 hit "Lady Marmalade", a cover version she recorded alongside Christina Aguilera, rapper Lil' Kim and Pink for the Moulin Rouge! soundtrack (2001). She released her third studio album, Moodring, in the summer of 2003. The album produced the smash hit "My Love Is Like...Wo" and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Following a label change to Universal Motown, Mýa's oft-delayed fourth studio album, Liberation (2007), received a download-release in Japan only after her label accidentally leaked the album. With the decision to go independent and a decline in her popularity in the United States, Harrison was offered a recording contract with Manhattan Recordings (a division of Lexington Corp.), a record label based in Japan. Through that label, she recorded two exclusive albums for the Japanese music market, Sugar & Spice (2008) and, most recently, K.I.S.S. (Keep It Sexy & Simple) (2011). In between recording those two albums, she launched her own independent record label Planet 9, and competed in Dancing with the Stars – season nine; finishing in second place.
Aside from a music career, Harrison branched out into acting; making her feature-film debut in 1999's thriller In Too Deep starring LL Cool J and Omar Epps. She continued to score supporting roles in films such as Chicago (winning a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble Cast); Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004); Shall We Dance? (2004); and Cursed (2005).
She has endorsed several brands such as Coca-Cola, Gap, Iceberg, Tommy Hilfiger, and Motorola.
Harrison's contribution to music has earned her many accolades in the fields of pop and R&B music categories. In 2009, Billboard listed Mýa as one of their Hot 100 Artists of the 2000s; placing her in the 97th position.
As of October 2009, she has sold 3.2 million albums in the United States alone and 7 million albums worldwide.
Biography
Early life and career beginnings"The turning point was when I saw Savion Glover in 'Tap'. I watched the videotape and studied steps on the kitchen floor."—Mýa,The Washington Post
Mýa Harrison, a native of Washington, D.C. is one of three children, born to an African-American father and Italian-American mother. Her father Sherman, a musician and singer, performed with several bands in the area; her mother Theresa worked as an accountant. She grew up in suburban Washington D.C. and Maryland with her two younger brothers Chaz and Nijel. As a child, she imitated Michael Jackson in her mother's high-heeled boots, using a spoon as a make-believe microphone. Mýa took violin lessons throughout her childhood, but dancing was her primary after-school activity. Mýa started ballet lessons in 1982 when she was only two and jazz and tap when she was four. Although she lost interest for several years, her interest waned at about age 10, but at age 12, it was rekindled. Her tap-dancing skills led to an opportunity to study with one of the best-known tap dancers in the country, Savion Glover of the Dance Theater of Harlem, when he came to Washington DC for a workshop. Glover later chose Mýa for a solo spot in a dance performance at the Kennedy Center
Mýa sometimes had to endure insensitive comments about her ethnic background, but her accomplishments as a dancer helped her make the transition into adolescence and deal with its peer pressure. As she explained in an appearance on Canada's Much Music television show in January 2001:
There was a time in my life when I wasn't popular and accepted by kids in school. I was made fun of with braces and kinky hair, and being from a multicultural family, etcetera... And it really hurts when you're that age, but later when you get something of your own or you get involved in activities like a sport, you begin to be accepted for what you do, and your personality and who you are, instead of your clothes and how you look and the name designer brands you have on.
As a popular performer, she would later draw from her experiences to speak to girls' groups as part of the Secret of Self-Esteem program for adolescents, addressing issues such as body image, peer pressure, and gender stereotypes. Learning steps from music videos landed her a stint from 1996 until 1998 as a hip-hop dancer for BET's "Teen Summit". She also began teaching a children's hip-hop and jazz dance class in Camp Springs. By age 15, Mýa's musical side took over and her professional-musician father helped her perfect her vocal abilities. When he realized that his daughter was serious about a career in music, Mýa's father began shopping around with her demo tape, eventually catching the interest of University Music president and CEO Haqq Islam. After graduating high school at 16, Mýa took a few classes at the University of Maryland, College Park, but the teenager's primary focus was on the recording studio.
1998–2001: Mýa, Fear of Flying and Lady Marmalade
After signing with Interscope, Mýa spent the next two years recording and completing her debut studio album. The album featured production and collaborations from noteworthy hit-makers such as Missy Elliott, Babyface, Diane Warren, Dru Hill, Darryl Pearson and Silkk Tha Shocker and spawned three successful singles. Her debut single, "It's All About Me" featuring fellow R&B singer Sisqó, was released on February 14, 1998. It peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart respectively. The single received a gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America on June 4, 1998. Her eponymous debut album was released April 21, 1998 in the United States and reached No. 29 on the Billboard 200. The album sold 1.4 million copies in the United States and received a platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America on October 1, 1998; denoting shipments to US retailers of over 1,000,000 units.
The album's second single "Movin' On", featured No Limit rapper Silkk Tha Shocker and peaked at No. 34 on the Hot 100 and No. 4 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart respectively. A third single, "My First Night with You" peaked at No. 28 on the Hot 100 and R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The album earned Mýa two Soul Train Music Award nominations for Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist and Best R&B/Soul Album – Female and a NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding New Artist. In addition to her solo work, Mýa was featured with Ol' Dirty Bastard on Pras' Grammy-nominated 1998 hit "Ghetto Supastar" from the Bulworth soundtrack and "Take Me There" from The Rugrats Movie soundtrack, with Blackstreet, Blinky Blink, and Mase.
Fear of Flying is a metaphor for the ups and downs of life. It's about handling things like an adult, knowing you must have faith to make anything happen.
—Mýa, Billboard
In 1999, Mýa began production on an album that would eventually become Fear of Flying. The title was partially inspired by Erica Jong 1973 novel, Fear of Flying which shared a lot of similarities toward female sexuality and development of second-wave feminism. The album featured contributions from Rodney Jerkins, Swizz Beatz, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Knobody, and Wyclef Jean. The majority of Fear of Flying was co-written and co-produced by Mýa and many of the album’s songs were about female empowerment. Mýa, who did some writing on her 1998 eponymous debut album, was heavily involved in the production of Fear of Flying, from writing and recording to producing, mixing, and mastering.
On April 25, 2000, Fear of Flying was released and debuted at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 album chart with first week sales of 72,000 copies. Upon initial release, the album seemed to be suffering the dreaded sophomore slump. The album's first single "The Best of Me", featuring Jadakiss, under-performed on the charts, not even making it into the pop Top 40.
The album's second single, the confrontational "Case of the Ex", proved to be a different matter and was a dance-heavy jam with attitude on it. Mýa confronts her man about an old lover who will not go away. "Case of the Ex" became Mýa's breakthrough hit topping the Australian Singles Chart for two consecutive weeks.
The song reached two and three in the US and UK respectively, and in turn solidified Fear of Flying as a hit.
With the success of "Case of the Ex", Interscope re-released Fear of Flying on November 7, 2000, with a revised tracklisting featuring two new songs, including the third single "Free" (which was previously on the Bait soundtrack) and a new track titled "Again & Again". "Free" was even more pop-friendly and became quite successful on MTV's TRL and at pop radio. Fear of Flying earned Mýa a Soul Train Music Award nomination for R&B/Soul Album – Female and a UK MOBO nomination for Best Album in 2001. The album sold over a million copies in the United States and received a platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America on March 28, 2001. Although Fear of Flying was received with mixed reviews, the album was a critical and commercial success; catapulting her career into superstardom. Fear of Flying hit as nearly hard as her debut, staying on the Billboard 200 chart for 52 consecutive weeks.
In 2001, Mýa lent her voice to two film soundtrack projects; Walt Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge! soundtracks. On the Atlantis: The Lost Empire soundtrack, she performed and recorded the tender pop ballad "Where the Dream Takes You. The Diane Warren-penned song was featured during the closing credits of Disney's highly anticipated animated feature, and was worked at Top 40 and Adult Contemporary radio starting June 5, prior to the film's June 15 release date; then she collaborated with singers Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, and P!nk on the remake of Labelle's 1975 hit "Lady Marmalade". Lady Marmalade was produced by hip-hip producers Missy Elliott and Rockwilder and released as the first single from the Moulin Rouge! soundtrack.
The single was a worldwide success. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart in its eighth week, spending five consecutive weeks at No. 1. "Lady Marmalade" became the third airplay-only track in the history of the chart to make it to the top. Since Billboard changed the eligibility rule in December 1998 to include all songs regardless of retail availability, only Aaliyah's "Try Again" (Blackground/Virgin) in June 2000 and "Angel" by Shaggy featuring Rayvon (MCA) March 2001 have made it to No. 1 without any sales points. Of the three tracks to now achieve this feat, "Marmalade" makes it to the top with the highest audience total (111 million listeners). "Angel" had 105 million in its only week at No. 1, while "Try" had 92 million in its sole week at the top.
The song reached No. 1 in over fifteen countries including the UK and Australia. Lady Marmalade became Mýa's first chart-topper and third non-consecutive top ten on the Hot 100 chart.
The foursome was invited to perform at the 2001 MTV Movie Awards; the performance was the show's biggest highlight of the night. At 2001 MTV Video Music Awards Lady Marmalade was nominated for six moonmen and won two for Best Video from a Film and Video of the Year. In March 2001, Mýa paid a tribute to legendary music icon Janet Jackson at MTV Icon. She performed her own rendition of Jackson's classic hit The Pleasure Principle.
In 2002, the quartet performed "Lady Marmalade" again at the 44th Grammy Awards and won a grammy for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.
2002–2008: Moodring, Liberation and Sugar & Spice
After the release and success of Fear of Flying, Mýa began to dabble in acting with a supporting role in the 2002 Academy Award-winning musical film, Chicago. In the following years, she continued appearing in films such as Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004), Shall We Dance? (2004), and Cursed (2005).
On July 22, 2003, after much delay, Mýa released her third studio album, Moodring. The album sold more than 113,000 copies in its first week and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, surpassing Mýa’s previous effort first-week sales. Originally titled Bittersweet, the album displays an array of different emotions exploring Mýa’s playful and sexual side. The majority of Moodring was co-written and co-produced by Mýa and was influenced by different subjects and music stylings including techno, pop rock, soul, hip-hop, R&B, quiet storm, etc. The first single, the Missy Elliott-produced "My Love Is Like...Wo" became a top twenty hit on the Hot 100 and a summer anthem for women. The video showcased a more sexy and risqué side of Mýa and became popular at MTV. The second single, the elegant-mid tempo track "Fallen" failed to duplicate the same success, but reached the top forty on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Moodring stayed on the United States chart for a mere eighteen non-consecutive weeks and went on to be certified gold, selling 589,000 copies to date.
Mýa was working on her fourth studio album on and off since 2004; she signed a six figure contract with Ford Modeling Agency in 2005. Originally conceived as a project called Control Freak, the album's first version was actually scheduled for a mid-2005 release and involving main production by Scott Storch, Dr. Dre, Lil Jon, Rockwilder and songwriter Sean Garrett. Although she intended to release a dance track called "Let It Go" at a particular time, the singer eventually decided to leave her management and A&M Records in fall 2005 before signing a new contract with Universal Motown. Mýa began consulting a few other producers to collaborate on the album, renamed Liberation, and in mid-2006, a buzz track entitled "Ayo!" was released onto the internet. Due to time-consuming "litigations, court, transitioning from label to label, teaching kids [at the Mya Art & Tech Foundation] and building a [recording] studio" however, the song was never picked up as a single and the album's release was pushed back again. In March 2007, the album's actual lead single "Lock U Down", a Scott Storch-produced collaboration with Lil Wayne, was sent to radio. After its commercial failure, a second single entitled "Ridin'" was released, but as the song saw minor success on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart only, Liberation was delayed once more and eventually bumped from the U.S. schedule. As a result, the album was never released physically anywhere but in Japan.
In 2008, Mýa parted ways with Motown. Having worked on new material since mid-2007, she contracted with Japanese R&B label Manhattan Records (a division of Lexington Group, not to be confused with the American adult contemporary label of the same name) to release new material. Her fifth studio album Sugar & Spice received a Japan-wide release in December 2008. Composed of production by less known producers, the album produced a new version of her single "Fallen", a cover of Diana King's hit "Shy Guy", as well as the first and final single "Paradise".
2009–2013: Beauty & the Streets and K.I.S.S. (Keep It Sexy & Simple)
Almost a year later, Mýa re-released her Japan-only album Sugar & Spice. The newer version of the album, entitled Sugar & Spice: The Perfect Edition, was released on August 5, 2009, containing new remixes and a new song titled "Wish You Were Here" featuring Malaysian artist Che'Nelle. During her downtime Mýa started her own independent label, entitled Planet 9 and inked a deal with J. Prince's Young Empire Music Group. She released her first mixtape called Beauty & The Streets Vol.1 on September 29, 2009. The mixtape's first single, "Show Me Somethin'" featured Houston-based rapper Bun B and was sent to iTunes in August. The mixtape entered at No. 55 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart. Mýa was invited to be a featured guest vocalist on We Are the World 25 for Haiti. In 2010, Variety reported Mýa currently has already completed 10 tracks for her next studio effort with producer Junior Sanchez. No release date has been set yet but think an electro-dance-rock vibe. Mýa says, "Working with Junior Sanchez is an incredibly creative experience – he and his team are true musicians, and we have been having so much fun in the studio – the sound is brand new and completely fresh." The songstress was also gearing up for the launch of a brand new single "Love Is the Answer", with Cedric Gervais. Originally, the track was scheduled for release late 2010 but however pushed back into next year. The song appeared on Gervais' album "Miamication" via (Ultra Records).
In early 2011, E! Online gave an exclusive first-listen preview of "Love Is the Answer".
The track was released February 8 worldwide via iTunes.
She released a new track called "Fabulous Life" in Japan on January 19. It was the first single from her second studio album titled K.I.S.S. (Keep It Sexy & Simple) in Japan.
A second single titled "Runnin' Back" featuring Iyaz was released February 23. Her sixth studio album K.I.S.S. (Keep It Sexy & Simple) was released April 20, 2011 in Japan. The album debuted at No. 71 on Japan's Billboard Top Albums Chart and at No. 72 on Japan's Oricon Albums Chart with first-week sales of 1,543.
In an interview, Mýa announced she had a US version of K.I.S.S. (Keep It Sexy & Simple) that had been done for quite some time and she had been taking a lot of meeting every single month to find out if she would like to distribute the project independently or major. Either way, her plan was to get it out before Christmas stating the album is done and my fans want it. Although the US version was slightly different from the Japan version. K.I.S.S. U.S./Canada Deluxe Edition was released December 20, 2011 via iTunes.
Its first U.S. digital single was an up-tempo track called "Earthquake" featuring Miami native rapper Trina. The single was released December 6, 2011 via iTunes. The album's second U.S. digital single was the House/Techno – club rave inspired song "Somebody Come Get This Bitch" released December 13, 2011 via (iTunes). The project's next three U.S. digitally released singles were "Mr. Incredible", "Mess Up My Hair", and "Evolve". Harrison began working on her 8th studio album for 2012.
In an interview with Billboard.com's The Juice, Harrison said she'll release her next album "when it's ready and supported properly" and is open to working with a major label again, "if a comfortable situation presents itself". Her priority is serving her fans worldwide now, versus the one-off, independent situation that she have been doing but still going to put out her mixtapes. She still may do projects in Japan, but her focal point and priority is to bring it back home. K.I.S.S. U.S./Canada Edition debuted at No. 74 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for the week of February 11, 2012.
2014–15: EP Series and Planet 9
Starting in 2014, Harrison has released a series of EPs on her independent label Planet 9. Beginning on February 14, 2014, Mýa released a four-track Valentine's Day EP entitled With Love, to commemorate the release of her debut single "It's All About Me" and 16th Anniversary in the entertainment industry via iTunes.
In between time, Mýa co-starred in the Syfy original TV movie Bermuda Tentacles starring Linda Hamilton, which debuted on April 12 at 9 p.m. ET. Approximately, two months later, Mýa released a new EP entitled Sweet XVI on April 21, 2014 via iTunes, to commemorate the release of her debut studio album Mýa.
In the near future, Mýa's label imprint Planet 9 will manufacture a physical CD combining both EPs and bonus tracks for her fans, classifying this as her eighth studio album, exclusively available on her website www.myamya.com and all future tour stops. Mýa is currently working on her ninth studio album.
The following year on February 14, 2015, Harrison released a new EP entitled Love Elevation Suite. It is her sixth independent project and second Valentine's Day EP. On October 10, 2015, Harrison is set to release "Welcome to My World", the first single from her upcoming eighth indie project titled Planet 9.
Usually with
Filmography of Mýa (11 films)
| Year | Name | Job | Roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | The Penthouse | Actress | Mitra |
| 2008 | Love for Sale | Actress | Keiley |
| 2007 | Cover | Actress | Cynda |
| 2006 | The Heart Specialist | Actress | Valerie |
| 2005 | Cursed | Actress | Jenny |
| 2004 | Shall We Dance? | Actress | Vern's Fiancée |
| 2004 | Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights | Actress | Lola Martinez |
| 2002 | Chicago | Actress | Mona |
| 2001 | Volcano High | Actress | Yu Cha-i (MTV English Dub) (voice) |
| 1999 | In Too Deep | Actress | Loretta |
| 1995 | Dangerous Minds | Actress |